Beyond Common Sense: Psychological Science in the Courtroom

Beyond Common Sense addresses the many important and
controversial issues that arise from the use of psychological and
social science in the courtroom. Each chapter identifies areas of
scientific agreement and disagreement, and discusses how
psychological science advances our understanding of human behavior
beyond common sense.

Features original chapters written by some of the leading
experts in the field of psychology and law including Elizabeth
Loftus, Saul Kassin, Faye Crosby, Alice Eagly, Gary Wells, Louise
Fitzgerald, Craig Anderson, and Phoebe Ellsworth

Commentaries written by leading social science and law scholars
discuss key legal and scientific themes that emerge from the
science chapters and illustrate how psychological science is or can
be used in the courts

Eugene Borgida is Professor of Psychology and Law at the
University of Minnesota and Morse-Alumni Distinguished Professor of
Psychology. He is also co-author of the forthcoming book, The
Political Psychology of Democratic Citizenship (with John L.
Sullivan and Christopher Federico).

Susan T. Fiske is Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology
at Princeton University. Her publications include Social
Cognition: From Brains to Culture (with Shelley Taylor,
2008) and Social Beings: A Core Motives Approach to Social
Psychology (2004).

Features original chapters written by some of the leading
experts in the field of psychology and law including Elizabeth
Loftus, Saul Kassin, Faye Crosby, Alice Eagly, Gary Wells, Louise
Fitzgerald, Craig Anderson and Phoebe Ellsworth

Each chapter identifies areas of scientific agreement and
disagreement, and discusses how psychological science advances an
understanding of human behavior beyond what is accessible by common
sense

Commentaries written by seven leading social science and law
scholars discuss key legal and scientific themes that emerge from
the science chapters, and illustrate how psychological science is
or can be used in the courts

"This collection is a gem! It unmasks the fallacies on race and
gender that pass for ‘common sense’ so skillfully that
it is hard to read without shouting 'Aha!'"--Nancy Cantor, Chancellor and President, Syracuse
University

"This is a timely and extremely interesting analysis of the many
ways in which psychological science can contribute to a more
accurate understanding of various psychological issues often raised
in legal proceedings. This book will be useful, and a very good
read, for the general public as well as the psychological and legal
communities."
--Sharon S. Brehm, Indiana University Bloomington, President
of the American Psychological Association (2007)

"This book is an indispensable guide—for scholars and
practitioners alike—to the psychological science of the legal
system. Its pages are filled with important, hard-won lessons that
we can turn to our advantage or ignore at our peril."
--Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University

"The legal system is also a system of perception, emotion,
interpersonal relations, and judgment. It is thus crucial that
lawyers, social scientists and indeed the broader public understand
its psychological dimensions. This volume assembles key examples of
the recent strides psychologists have made in understanding
courtroom processes and the psychosocial dimensions that shape how
law works in a variety of settings from workplaces to the media. It
will be a vital resource for both professionals and
students."
--Craig Calhoun, President, Social Science Research
Council

"Incrementally, chapter by chapter, this world-class collection
of scholars and researchers upends our common sense understandings
of human prejudice and the law's ability to control it. Yet, just
as importantly, it brings to the fore a vastly deeper understanding
of these issues. It is more than a state of the art collection. It
is a classic collection that, for a long time, will be
indispensable to discussions of prejudice and the law, as well as
the relationship between science and the public good."--Claude M. Steele, Stanford University

Digital version available through Wiley Online Library

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